For your enjoyment (sic):
After elucidating a number of points behind the contribution of
poverty to the destruction of Haiti, NYTimes columnist David Brooks
wrote this zinger (point 3) in today's paper:
"Haiti, like most of the world’s poorest nations, suffers from a
complex web of progress-resistant cultural influences. There is the
influence of the voodoo religion, which spreads the message that life
is capricious and planning futile. There are high levels of social
mistrust. Responsibility is often not internalized. Child-rearing
practices often involve neglect in the early years and harsh
retribution when kids hit 9 or 10. We’re all supposed to politely
respect each other’s cultures. But some cultures are more
progress-resistant than others, and a horrible tragedy was just
exacerbated by one of them."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/opinion/15brooks.html?em
While Naomi Klein warns of the risk of aid exacerbating the dependence
of Haiti (a victim of IMF/WB SAPs), here is the dark flip-side to that
coin...
Another development (only in the U.S.?), here is an innovative way to
turn your vices into virtue. Zizek would be proud:
http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/aid-for-haiti?utm_id=171
Oliver!
--
Oliver Christian Belcher
PhD Student
Department of Geography
University of British Columbia
Blog: meanswithoutend.blogspot.com
"The hope that earthly horror does not possess the last word is, to be
sure, a non-scientific wish." Max Horkheimer
"No one likes armed missionaries." Maximilien Robespierre
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